The use of the "Nagorno-Karabakh" term in the statement of the Russian Defense Ministry on humanitarian assistance [to Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine] is unacceptable, being another provocation of the ministry, which can escalate the situation in the region, political expert Elchin Mirzabayli told Trend.

Mirzabayli reminded that there is no administrative-territorial unit called ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’ in Azerbaijan, and the Russian Ministry officials know this.

"Currently, the territorial units, located in the zone of temporary responsibility of Russian peacekeepers, have official names in the Azerbaijani language. If persons expressing the official position of the Russian Defense Ministry have memory problems, there are General Staff maps and the documents signed between Azerbaijan and Russia,” he said.

Mirzabayli said the representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry, pushing for provocative actions, should understand that the constant utterance of such annoying statements, first of all, creates a frivolous image of the military.

According to him, this can damage Azerbaijani-Russian relations and lead to an escalation of tension in the territory of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed [in accordance with the trilateral statement signed between Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020 following the second Karabakh war], for which representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry, constantly encouraging separatism, will be responsible.

"Amid the events taking place in the world, Moscow shouldn’t test the patience of the citizens of the few countries trying to maintain normal relations with Russia, including the people of Azerbaijan,” Mirzabayli further said. “Otherwise, this would mean that Russia doesn’t fulfill its obligations, expressed in respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and this factor contributes to the loss of confidence in Russia throughout the world.”

“The role of Volkov, the commander of the Russian peacekeepers, who started business with the separatists in Azerbaijan, is undoubted. The behavior of this person makes it necessary to stop his mission as soon as possible," Mirzabayli said.